A wide variety of systems and techniques are used in therapeutically training and evaluating individuals. Those skilled in the art will be aware of various apparatuses used in physical therapy and related research fields. In the case of individuals have certain types of neurological damage, a notable example being stroke patients, the individual's ability to balance while standing or walking can often be compromised. It has been discovered that an apparatus known in the art as a “tilt board” can be used to train an individual to improve their balance. Conventional tilt boards have a platform supported upon a relatively narrow ground contacting base or set of bars, legs, etc. An individual is typically tasked with standing on the tilt board, and compensating for the instability inherent in the narrow base, especially when their balance has been externally perturbed. It has been observed that over time certain individuals can improve their ability to balance, and thereby improve their overall quality of life and personal safety.
One application of tilt boards employs an external electrical stimulation of a muscle in the individual's leg, commonly the soleus. The external stimulation induces the soleus muscle to contract, redistributing the body weight of the individual upon the tilt board, causing the tilt board to tilt, and requiring the patient to compensate and return the tilt board to a more or less horizontal orientation. Through repetition of this general technique, certain individuals commonly assisted by a trainer, can improve their balance, apparently due to inhibition of the reflexiveness of their response to being tipped off balance. Despite some success in training such individuals over the years, there remains ample room for improvement.